Year in Review: 10 Photos and Videos of 2014

From reporting on and photographing the reaction to the Kelly Thomas trial to filming weddings and aerial videos, I gained a wide variety of multimedia experience in the past year.

But looking back and reviewing photos I have taken has reminded me of just how much of a novice I am in the field, and I look forward to learning more in 2015.

Here are 10 of my favorite photos and videos I captured in 2014, in chronological order.

1. Kelly Thomas Rally – Jan. 13, 2014
Supporters gather around Ron Thomas, center, father of Kelly Thomas, as he speaks hours after an Orange County jury gave a ‘not guilty’ verdict for two former Fullerton police officers charged in the beating death of Thomas.

2. Kelly Thomas Memorial – Jan. 14, 2014

A woman, believed to be a relative of Kelly Thomas, tends his memorial a day after two former Fullerton police officers were found not guilty for their role in Thomas’ beating death.

I had just recently purchased the GoPro camera I took this with and was not attuned to the GoPro’s field of view. As a result, I framed this shot incorrectly, with the woman’s foot extending out of the frame.

3. SWAT manhunt in Tustin – April 10, 2014

An Orange County sheriff SWAT marksman prepares to aid in the search for an armed robbery suspect in Tustin. The suspect was later found.

4. School bus crash – April 24, 2014

Workers break up a tree that fell as the result of a school bus crashing into a cluster of trees in Anaheim Hills, resulting in about a dozen injuries.

The driver was arrested about 8 months later, in January 2015, on felony charges of felony child abuse and endangerment, as well as perjury, according to the Orange County Register.

5. Love Fullerton – May 17, 2014

Fullerton Police Chief Dan Hughes speaks at a morning rally for the inaugural Love Fullerton service day, a collaborative city-wide project, alongside Ev Free pastor Jay Williams, right, organizer of the program.

6. Anaheim ARTIC construction – May 28, 2014

The Anaheim ARTIC transportation station at sunset in late spring. It opened six months later, in December 2014, to much fanfare.

7. iPhone 6 launch – Sept. 19, 2014

An Apple Store employee chats with a law enforcement official who appears to be a Brea police detective at the Brea Mall’s iPhone 6 launch event.

From a photo perspective, this image is boring, flat and grainy. There are several reasons why this picture didn’t come out well: It was taken at 200mm in cloudy conditions at ISO 400, and in fact is a crop from the full picture. The skin tones were captured poorly, as well.

But…

This photo is meaningful to me because I captured this fleeing moment. Most of the time I had been watching the security, this officer was giving a scowl. I saw him lighten up for a moment, and snapped this picture with my telephoto lens.

8. Vertical Prime – October 16, 2014

Photograph of Vertical Prime’s DJI S100 octocopter. Drones are definitely going to define the future of photography and cinematography, and I am glad I have had the opportunity to work as a camera operator on a few video shoots.

9. Vertical Prime Reel – December 8, 2014

In addition to filming with Vertical Prime this year, I had the opportunity to edit VP’s 2015 aerial cinematography reel, showcasing our video capabilities. We are now booking 2015 shoots too.

10. 6D Helmets Ride Day video – December 29, 2014

I had the chance to work with the Related Grey / Vertical Prime crew to film the 6D Helmets Ride Day at the Perris Raceway. I also edited the video, getting experience in color grading and making a unified edit. Color graded with Synthetic Aperture Color Finese 3 in Adobe After Effects.

Copyright 2014 and 2015 by Tim Worden.
All rights reserved.